Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490775
Avatar: The Way of Water. Photo: 20th Century Studios New technology can be intimidating, but Scott sees it as an opportunity costume designers can embrace. "I still put my costumes on people. We do motion and water tests, but those costumes are never going to be seen except on a nine-foot-tall blue person. In terms of costume design history, I feel like it's a door opening to this new genre, and hopefully more people will be allowed to work in it. Costume design for virtual filmmaking is a very important part of the conversation." Managing the crew on productions large and small is an issue that Scott considers as much privilege as responsibility. "I think being a conductor of people requires a lot of skill and not every student of costume is going to be good at that. We all have our talents, strengths, and weaknesses. You can always improve. Learning to run a workroom, or a set, with sometimes 50 people on your team is not easy. It teaches you to relinquish control. Early in my career, I found it difficult. I've learned through many years that sometimes your best work comes from working with another person. The luxury of being able to collaborate with people who really want to respond can be magical." 29